


Lone Wolves

by Ael_tRlailiiu



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Background Scarlet Beauty, Canon Related, F/F, F/M, Plot, Slice of Life, background Captain Swan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-18
Updated: 2015-11-13
Packaged: 2018-04-15 07:47:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4598646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ael_tRlailiiu/pseuds/Ael_tRlailiiu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series set during gaps in 3b/4, in which Mulan and others find their feet and adventure in a new world. Mulan/Ruby eventually.</p><p>I started this before either Mulan or Ruby was announced as coming back in S5. I wanted to tie up some loose ends with the Merry Men, and give Mulan a proper story, and tidy up a few other bits of the narrative. Now of course it's all likely to be steam-rollered by canon, but I really enjoyed writing this story. Many thanks to all of you for reading and commenting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Mulan first saw wolf tracks the day the witch took Little John.

“You said there were no wolves in this land.” She frowned at Robin across the campfire that evening. The damp wood hissed and steamed like a dragon while he warmed his hands.

“That's what I was told. Why?”

“I found sign today, while Alan and I searched. Only one wolf, but the tracks are clear.”

Robin shrugged and stood, his mind clearly elsewhere. “There aren't supposed to be any wolves in Storybrooke. Nor lions. Bears, I'm told, they have in quantity.”

“Then we shall soon sleep warmer at night for the fur.” She looked around the camp. Whatever curse had brought them to this land had equipped them haphazardly for the weather they found. They had tents and gear, but few weapons even after Little John's foray into town the previous night. Mulan had a bow, but she missed the familiar weight of her armor.

“If any of us sleep at all.” Robin whistled, calling the Merry Men together, and told them what had happened to their comrade and what little he knew about their situation. “No one is to go about alone, and everyone must watch the skies. If you see any flying monkeys, try not to engage. They may be friends of ours, compelled to attack. Above all, avoid being bitten.”

Mulan nodded and watched the others. Sure enough, Arthur wanted to know, “Why are we going about at all, alone or otherwise, if this is what we're up against? Under whose orders? Who's in charge of this place?”

“Are we outlaws here or not?” Tuck asked more bluntly. Finding out that you were missing a year of your memories unsettled a person.

“I don't know. Regina appears to be ruler here.” Robin waved a hand as muttering swelled. “Prince Philip and Princess Aurora have not been seen. They may have escaped this curse altogether, as they did the previous one, or something may have happened to them in the missing time. We'll go carefully, but until this monkey business is sorted, we'll go with the prevailing winds. There may not be ogres here, but there are dangers enough. We'll watch the borders, just as we used to.”

At least, as they remembered doing a year before. There hadn't been much call for outlawry in the depopulated lands, but there were ogres to hunt, and Aurora and Philip had not begrudged the aid. Now Mulan arranged for the watch to be kept, and herself remained on guard near Robin's tent, for Roland. It felt like only a short time had passed since she first settled with these men.

_What brings you so far from the service of your Emperor?_ Alan had asked.

_Emperors change,_ she had said.  And families wither, and the gods leave you, she had not.

He had nodded and dropped the subject, and played a song that was probably very funny to those more familiar with local personalities. The Merry Men, Mulan found, asked few questions but told many stories. She wondered now, as the cold night hours passed, what truths she had learned and forgotten with the curse, whether her aching heart had grown light in those forgotten months.

In the morning, she and Arthur went into town to get the lay of the land. The ground had not frozen yet, but the air promised snow; they had arrived on the brink of winter. Forest gave way to fields and farm houses, and then the town itself.

“People here must be dreadfully rich,” Arthur said. “ What do you suppose those things are called?” He cast a wary eye at the vehicles moving up and down the street. “And so many windows in the shops. You can see right in.”

“Easy to break into?”

“I wasn't going to say it!”

“Good.” They walked down the main street. The people seemed bewildered but resigned, bundled against the cold, engaged in quiet conversation.

“I'm starving.”

Mulan shrugged. If a wolf could live in the forests here, so could they.

“This is what they use for money in this land, is it?” Arthur dug through his pockets and came up with a few crumpled bits of paper and a handful of coins.

“That's what Neal had when we met.” He had talked for hours while they journeyed, mostly about his adopted home and his family there; the local currency had not been a topic. She searched her own clothing and turned up a few more frowning portraits of men on paper.

“That looks like a tavern. I smell bacon. Let's see what we can buy, eh?”

Mulan's gaze caught on a bakery down the street. “I'll meet you there.”

“Robin said not to—”

“I doubt flying monkeys will attack the main street,” she said. “Within the next quarter hour, at least.”

A short time later, she and her parcel—heavy loaves that would last them well, flatbread for Nasir, and a dearly-bought sweet for Roland—entered the “diner” to find Arthur arguing with a gray-haired woman under the bemused gaze of a dozen onlookers.

“Mulan, thank the gods,” Arthur said. “They won't sell beer before noon! What kind of land is this?”

“One that doesn't need any more drunks cluttering up the place,” the woman said. “And who's this?” She looked Mulan up and down. “I don't know you.”

“Elder.” Mulan bowed politely. “We were not... participants? In the previous curse to have struck this land. We have little knowledge of its customs. Please forgive my companion his rudeness. We are part of Robin Hood's band, and are hoping to find news of comrades here in town.”

“Oh, is that all. Ruby! Another one for the missing persons list. You can have some coffee, anything else'll cost you,” she warned.

“Honestly, Granny. Hi.” A tall young woman in an apron appeared from the back of the building, carrying a pad of paper. She pulled a pen from behind her ear. “Who is it you're looking for?”

“Belle? And one other, I know him as Neal. I don't know—” But the woman was already shaking her head.

“Belle's at the shop or the library, most likely. Nobody's seen Neal. I'll make sure you're on the list if he turns up, though. What's your name?”

“Mulan. This is Arthur. We're camped west of town.”

“I'm Ruby. Nice to meet you.” She scribbled on her paper and flashed a wide smile. “And you can have some breakfast if you want. Or we have tea?”

Surprised, Mulan nodded. “That would be wonderful.” Perhaps this new land had things to recommend it over the Enchanted Forest.

The drink resembled tea only slightly. She liked it better than the coffee. The room grew crowded. Arthur spotted an acquaintance and went to compare notes. Mulan ate eggs and toast, which did not change much between worlds. She listened to the conversations around her. In between attending to customers, Ruby refilled her hot water and provided snippets of useful information about the town and the people and the effort to find out who had cursed them all. In the midst of this, an unexpected but unmistakeable figure sauntered through the door, and Mulan reached for a sword she wasn't wearing.

“What is _he_ doing here?”

Ruby followed her glance with a surprised expression. “Hook? Blew in the night before last with Emma and her son. Don't know how he got to wherever they were. Granny!” She leaned on the counter again while her grandmother attended to their latest customer. Granny wore the kind of scowl reserved by older relations for their favorite nephew. “He seems inclined to be useful these days.”

“That sounds unlikely.” Mulan settled back into her seat, still watchful.

“Welcome to Storybrooke,” Ruby said with a smile. “Things are a little upside down here.”

“That seems to be so. Thank you for breakfast. You may want to warn anyone going out to the forest to be watchful,” she said. “There are flying monkeys, and I saw some wolf tracks.”

“Really.” Ruby did not sound surprised, but her expression grew intent. “Where? The tracks, I mean.”

“Northwest of the town. They were fresh—two days, I'd say.”

“I'll go have a look when things quiet down here. I'm quite a good tracker,” she added. “Though I'm sure I don't look like it.” She smoothed her clothing with a self-conscious air.

Mulan smiled. “I learned that lesson a while ago. But no one ought to be in the woods alone right now, however skilled.”

“You have a point.” Ruby's dark eyes held secret amusement. “I'll let you know if we get any news.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am taking liberties with the size of the land attached to Storybrooke, with the excuse that the actual showrunners do it all the time. Set during "It's Not Easy Being Green."

The funeral ended. Mulan waited until the others had moved away to approach Neal's grave. The damp earth smell and the gathered flowers felt familiar, though the words of the ceremony had been strange.

“I hope you've found peace,” she said to the silent stone. “You were able to help your family in the end.”

Robin broke away from the group to approach her. “I've got to go into town,” he said. “There may be some manner of war council, now that our enemy is known.” He glanced over his shoulder to where Regina stood frowning, hands in the pockets of her black coat.

Mulan nodded. “I fear that I know nothing of Oz, and very little of magic. I can make my way back alone.”

“I'd rather you didn't—”

“Wicked she may be, but this witch is civilized enough not to attack a funeral. I have made much more arduous journeys. I will let the men know you are delayed, and redouble the watch.”

“Thank you.”

She watched him leave with the others, and then set off alone on foot. A hush lay on the country. Crows called in the trees, but no monkeys circled overhead. The steady, quiet rhythm of her walk encouraged thinking, but Mulan found no use in it. Another life cut short, and still no answers about the missing time. What had become of the prince and princess, and their child? Perhaps they were safe in their castle in the Enchanted Forest. Perhaps Mulan had seen them in the past year. Perhaps she had not. Aurora would have invited them to the new heir's naming, unless there had been some falling out....

So beset, she walked until the road crumbled to gravel, then dwindled into a trail that wound up a hillside. Quick motion caught her eye, a flash of gray amid the pines. Mulan took cover and pulled her sling from her coat pocket. The shape vanished behind a pile of boulders and emerged, waving.

“Hi.”

Mulan lowered the sling. “Ruby. Is there news? What are you doing out here?”

Ruby grimaced and pushed her hair back. “The witch showed up at the diner and challenged Regina to a duel. The whole town's freaking out. I just had to get away from people for a little while.”

“I see,” Mulan said, although she didn't. That was quite a bit of distance to have covered so quickly. “I was heading back to camp.”

“Mind some company?”

“Not if you don't.”

Ruby fell in beside her. “There were just way too many people crowding in there, and everybody's so upset and can't do anything.” She shrugged. “I don't like funerals.”

“Few do. Did you know Neal well?”

“Not that I remember. Back before—whatever it was—happened, he was only around for a couple of weeks, and he was mostly with his girlfriend. And then a couple more days, and then,” she waved a hand. “I don't know. You?”

“We went on a journey together once. He gave me some advice. I think it was good advice, but I wasn't able to take it.” She considered that trek to the castle of the Dark One. “I suspect he had a lot of regrets.”

“He should have fit right in here, then.”

They walked in silence for a while. Mulan watched her companion. Ruby's easy strides and minute, fluid shifts of attention spoke of familiarity with the land, at odds with her carefully painted face and nails.

“What sort of life did you have, back in the Enchanted Forest?” Mulan asked. “If I may.”

“Back before I met Snow, Granny and I had a farm we could barely keep going in a good year. Since then we're... sort of councilors, I guess. After the war, we lived at the castle.” She grinned, solemnity forgotten. “Who would have thought it. What about you?”

“I was in the army for a while. My father was a minor official in the government. When the last of my family died, I tried to return to service, but—things had changed. I started traveling on my own, looking for a place. Then I heard about the yaoguai.” The remainder of the journey to the camp passed quickly while she told Ruby about her adventures with Belle and then with Prince Philip.

“D'you like it? With Robin Hood and them.”

“It suits me now.” Now, when what she wanted most was distraction, to not be alone with her regrets. The Merry Men were uncouth, uncultured, and lacking in discipline, but loyal to one another and to their leader. Their noisy, brawling, thieving lives were immeasurably far from the one she had known, and that was all to the good.

“At least we don't have to worry about Maleficent these days, even if we have a new witch to fight.” Ruby shook her head. “Rooting for Regina. Who would have seen that coming.”

“Upside down?”

“And then some.”

“We're almost at the camp.” Mulan looked ahead. “Do you want to look for the wolf? Or are you needed at home?”

“When Granny's worried, she gives other people work to do. There's nothing we can do there but wait for sunset. May as well take a look around.”

Mulan passed on the news to the other Merry Men and picked up her bow, and the two women set off again. They went quietly now, by unspoken agreement, and watched for signs. Another half hour passed. The town lay far behind them when Ruby touched her shoulder. Mulan stopped. She scanned the undergrowth, but without that alerting touch she would not have seen the creature hidden. She reached for her bow.

“You won't need that,” Ruby said. She gave a low whistle and walked forward. “Hey there. Long time, no see.” The wolf, to Mulan's astonishment, half-emerged from hiding.

“You can speak to it?”

“Yes.” Ruby smiled sheepishly. “I wasn't sure if you knew.”

“Apparently I don't.”

“Awkward. Um. I'm a werewolf.”

“Oh.” She kept her questions to herself and watched Ruby sink down to her knees in the snow. The wolf whined. Mulan could guess at very little of the conversation that followed, only that Ruby's attitude seemed to reassure the creature. After a few minutes it turned and vanished from sight.

“Good thing you spotted him before anyone took a shot at him. He won't come around the camp again.” Ruby cast a glance after the wolf.

“You look worried.”

“Just this world gets to me sometimes.” She shrugged. “They killed all the wolves in this part of the world a century or so ago. He's all alone.”

“How did he get here?”

“With the first curse. And then with this one, I guess. He had a human friend here, but he died a few years ago. I guess he's just been hanging around the Enchanted Forest ever since. Nowhere else to go.” She rubbed her hands over her arms and smiled wanly. “Just like the rest of us, I guess.”

Mulan nodded. They returned to the camp, and Ruby went on alone from there.

As sunset approach, Mulan said to Robin, “Perhaps we should go into town. We might help keep order, at least, or—”

Robin shook his head. “That's not our concern. I've told you before, this band is no army. We guard the camp.” His usually easy-going demeanor spoke of fresh troubles. He passed a hand over his forehead and sighed. “I know you're trying to help. Her Majesty has entrusted me with a task, and I must fulfill it.”

“Then so you shall.” She waited, curious, but he did not elaborate, only strode off for a minute examination of the camp perimeter. In the growing darkness, a distant howl rose.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set during "A Tale of Two Sisters".

Mulan entered the diner to the jingle of the bell and a buzz of conversation. She hesitated, then found an empty stool at the counter.

“Back already? What'll it be?” Granny asked.

“Just some tea, please. Is Ruby here today?”

“She'll be back soon.” She peered at Mulan over her glasses, clearly curious, sniffed, and went to fetch a mug and the little basket of tea packets.

“Thank you.” Mulan counted out her coins and settled into the warm lemon smell. Most things in Storybrooke moved faster than she was used to. Tea could not be rushed. Other customers lingered after their midday meal, took their time putting on coats, or waited for something to take away.

“Mulan! Hi!” Ruby shouldered through the front door. She toted a bulky cube in both arms.

“Would you like a hand?”

“Thanks, I got it.” She wrestled the object onto the counter. “All fixed, Granny. Just don't use it on High for more than ten minutes at a time.” She turned to Mulan. “Everything okay?”

“I'm fine. I wanted something that didn't taste of woodsmoke.” She lifted her mug. “And I was hoping to ask you for a favor.”

“Sure, what can I help with?”

“Princess Aurora had her baby the other day, and I would like to give her a gift for the occasion. I don't know how such things are done in this world.”

Ruby glanced around the room and nodded. “Give me fifteen minutes or so? The place can get by without me after that.”

A half hour later, they set out onto the main street, looking in the shops, while Ruby caught Mulan up on the news from the past few days—Zelena's machinations, her spell, her death.

“...Right out in front of the diner!” Ruby's mouth twitched with suppressed smiles. “Barely coming up for air the whole time. Granny wanted to go out and throw cold water on them, but I wouldn't let her. It's a nice change of pace to see people happy after the week we've all had.”

“It does seem that many people are taking this land as a chance for a fresh start.”

“Or an old one? How is everything at the camp? With Marian being back, and all. Let's try in here.”

“It's strange,” Mulan said. “Everyone's happy, of course. I never knew her before, so she's barely spoken to me. I expect she's mostly concerned with Roland. He was only a baby when she disappeared.” She thought that Robin had looked like a man caught between two swords, but there was no need to say that.

“That's hard.” Ruby studied an array of tiny socks. “How about these?”

“Is that a dragon?”

“Yes. It's cute!”

“Dragons might be a sore spot.”

“Oh. Good point. Foxes?”

“Those are safe.”

“I suppose a stuffed monkey is out of the question.” Ruby started a pile. “So did anything surprising come up when everyone got their memories back? A lot can happen in a year.”

“No torrid affair with one of my new comrades, fortunately.” Her newly returned memories had included little of note: getting to know the Merry Men, patrolling the forest, turning back the occasional ogre, the news about Zelena. “What is that?” she added as Ruby picked up yet another animal-shaped object.

“It's a towel with a hood. Keeps the baby's head warm. Maybe not _necessary_ ,” Ruby admitted. “But it's got an elephant.”

“They probably have towels already.”

“True.” She put it back with a wistful look. “I should have asked Ashley which of this stuff was actually useful.”

“I think this is a good start.” Mulan collected their stack and managed not to blanch when the cashier totaled up the purchase. As they left with the parcel, she said, “I do have one other question, if you don't mind.”

“Shoot. I mean, what is it?”

“In the Enchanted Forest, the Merry Men were outlaws who robbed the unjust. After the curse took Snow's kingdom, we served Aurora and Philip. What ought we to do here? We can feed ourselves from the forests, if no one grudges us the deer, but unless objects in this land never wear out, we will need money as well. I have yet to see any unfairly burdened tax collectors passing through this forest.”

“Huh.” Ruby pursed her lips in thought. “What does Robin think?”

“He hasn't said. He's had many matters pressing on his attention, ever since Little John disappeared.”

“I bet he has.” Ruby raised an eyebrow. “I'll ask around.”

“Thank you. And thank you for the assistance at the shop.” She hefted the bag.

“Any time. I'll see if we can get some better tea for the diner before your next visit.” Ruby grinned and headed off down the street.

Mulan checked the directions and walked toward the hospital. The sun promised warmth, but gave little. Inside the building, the air felt cool and was full of harsh and unfamiliar scents. She felt the old uncertainty rise, and squared her shoulders to drive it back. A few inquiries soon had her knocking on the door.

“Come in.”

She put her hand on the doorknob, drew a deep breath, and pushed it open. “Hello.” In the small room, crowded as it was with furniture, she only had eyes at first for one of the three inhabitants.

“Mulan? Is it really you?” Aurora's expression lit up with surprise.

“It is. Are you resting? I can come back—”

“No! Come in! Please.” Aurora pulled a woeful face. “This 'hospital' is worse than some prisons I've known, if only for the boredom. Though they do have wonderful people for teaching you how to care for a baby, I'll admit.” She nodded at the nearby bassinet. “He's sleeping.”

Philip pried himself up from the chair beside the bed and offered it to Mulan. “Please, sit.”

“And tell us everything,” Aurora added. “We've not had many visitors, or much time to get used to anything here since Zelena's magic ended.”

“And we'd as soon not discuss that,” Philip said dryly. “The next time this happens, I hope it's at least a change from fur. Perhaps a fish.”

Aurora rapped his arm and said, “Never mind all of that. Sit down! What have you been doing? How did you get here? Are we likely to ever get used to this place? You seem to be dressed for it, at least.”

Mulan took the offered seat, as it would have been impolite to refuse, and launched into a brief version of the past year's events. She finished by saying, “As far as getting used to this place—it is strange, but I'm sure that once you're out and about, it will come quickly.”

“It's hard to imagine going out at this point, but I'm told it will happen.”

“It will. I should let you rest some more.” Mulan stood and placed her package on the end of the bed. “For the young prince.”

“Thank you.” Aurora smiled. “At least I finally want to sleep again. That's something.”

Philip followed Mulan out into the hall and said, “And I thank you as well.” His smile had all the old warmth, and he pressed her hand lightly between his. “For the visit, and the gift, though there was no need for that! It's good to see old friends in this place, and a smile.”

“It is.” She returned his grip for a moment, and then let go. “You should get some rest while your son allows it. I'll see you both again soon, I'm sure.” Mulan turned away. The door closed, a small and ordinary sound, not so final as she might have once deemed it. Perhaps she had shed enough tears. Now that she remembered the year that lay behind her, she found that the sting had faded with every moon. If anywhere could be a new beginning, a whole world ought to suffice.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set during the end of 4a, Ruby helps Mulan and the Merry Men find a new direction after Robin's departure.

“Mulan, this is Will. Will Scarlet.” Robin waved at the fellow who had ambled into camp with him.

“'Allo.”

Mulan crossed her arms over her chest and nodded.

“Quiet type? Or else you've heard of me.” He tilted his head back to look at her--skeptical or appraising, she wasn't sure.

“Sometimes. And yes, I have.” She glanced at Robin.

“Will's come back to us,” was all he said.

“I see.”

“Provisionally, for the time being, as it were,” Will said. “I've even got me own tent.”

“Then I suppose you're all set.” She watched him saunter off, hands tucked into his jacket pockets. “Robin. What is this about, really? I know what happened with him before. Why are you letting him in now?”

“Everyone deserves a second chance. This is his. He did me a service lately, and I shall do no less for him.”

“To do with...?” She hesitated to refer directly to “that bloody mess,” as the Merry Men called the situation with Marian.

“Yes.”

When he said nothing more, she frowned. “Robin. You keep reminding me that this is not an army. That we're comrades, not followers. Whatever's going on, the rest of us deserve to know.”

“Where's Roland?” he said instead of replying.

“He's with Alan.” Mulan watched Robin stride away—and a few days later, depart forever into a world without magic. In the morning, she hiked in to find the town abuzz with Gold's banishment and the departure of the Arendelle royalty. Ruby waved at her and seemed to have something to say, so Mulan lingered over her tea until the crowd at Granny's thinned out enough for conversation.

“Holy cow, what a morning.” Ruby rolled her eyes and leaned on the chair opposite Mulan. “I thought this place would never quiet down. Did Aurora like her baby gift?”

“She did, yes. Thank you for your help.”

“Any time. Hey, thanks for sticking around. I was wondering maybe you could do me a favor?”

“Of course.”

Ruby lowered her voice to a whisper. “Give me another excuse to get out of here?”

“Uh—okay—let me think—there was some... suspicious activity out past the camp last night, and all of Robin's men are too hung over for me to ask them to come along and check it out. And I... don't want to bother Sheriff Swan if it's just kids?”

“Perfect. Give me ten minutes.” Ruby grinned.

Ten minutes later, “Where are we really going?” Mulan asked as they turned down the sidewalk.

“Just like you said. I thought we'd check out the western edge of the wood. How are the guys taking everything?”

“They emptied every bottle in the camp last night. They've all known Robin for years. If they'd actually done half the exploits they all claimed, King Midas would have been a poor man in comparison.”

“It's not like he's dead. There are telephones, and the internet.”

Mulan looked at her blankly. “None of us have a phone. Robin does, in case there's some emergency, but no one else.”

“Okay, that's a thing we can work on. I'm surprised nobody went with him.”

“Some of us offered.” Mulan shrugged.”I've traveled to many lands; what would one more be? But he thought that it would be best for the family this way. They have a difficult road ahead, the three of them.”

“Tricky.” Ruby pulled a rueful face. “They'll be all right.”

“I hope so.”

Steady walking soon took them to the outskirts of town; other traffic dwindled away until they were alone on the road.

Ruby stopped and took a deep breath. “Wow, that's better. A couple more hours out here and I might be able to face the coffeemaker again. Hey, do you mind if I go for a run?”

“Uh... no?” She watched Ruby sling off her backpack.

“I won't be long. Meet you up at the logging road,” Ruby added and turned away. Golden sparks hid her for a moment, blending with the sunlight, and with less fuss than many would make about removing their coat, she changed her form.

“Oh,” Mulan said in place of her intended reply. She knew she was staring. _Ah, so you're a werewolf_ is one thing in the abstract, quite another when yellow eyes are looking into yours.

Ruby stretched her forelegs, gave her fur a shake, and loped off into the trees.

“Well.” So far as she had thought about it, Mulan hadn't expected Ruby's wolf shape to be quite so large. She picked up the bag and walked another mile to where the old logging road split off from the paved one. Light snow began to fall as she waited. Squirrels argued in a nearby pine tree. Strange to think that if she walked in this forest for only a day, she would find herself in an alien land, unable to return. A rustle announced her companion's return a moment before Ruby emerged from the bushes, settling her scarlet jacket back into place.

“God, that's _better_.”

“You look more relaxed.” Mulan didn't often pay attention to the air, not unless it smelled like rain on the way. Watching Ruby, she found herself conscious of its movement through her body, the hints of pine and damp wood and wet fur.

“I can't think why.” Ruby gave her a wry look. “It's not that I don't like my job. I'm getting pretty good at running things, which is good, with Granny off looking after Prince Neal. It's fun always knowing what's going on, but sometimes it seems like I don't have a life of my own any more, in any world. Doesn't help that most of my friends have babies now.”

“It's difficult to be the odd one out that way. Children are not an interest of yours?”

“I, ah... wow, no, not thinking about that.” Ruby laughed and pushed her hair back. “Not any time soon, anyway. For one thing, there usually has to be somebody else in the picture for those.”

“So I hear.” Mulan nodded, straight-faced. “None of those, then?”

“Not to speak of.” They set off up the logging road toward the camp. “I mean, Victor and I have kind of a thing off and on, but that's very much 'no commitments.'”

“I see.”

“And you've got nothing, I take it.” Ruby gave her an amused glance.

“Not even the remotest hint of a thing. Sherwood Forest is a difficult place to meet people.”

“Outside of the Merry Men? Having met most of them, I really can't blame you. Oh hey, I've been thinking about your question from last week—”

“As have I,” Mulan interrupted, fearing to seem too demanding on her new friend's time. “When we haven't been cowering from curses, there's been little else to do but patrol the woods and think.”

“Funny you should mention that, but you go first.” Ruby gestured encouragement.

“I've never been much of a scholar, but I think we could all stand to learn something more about this place. There's a library here, isn't there? And Belle works there?”

“There is, and she does.” Ruby nodded. “I think... in a little while, that would be a good thing for Belle to help with. Something else for her to think about. I'd give her a few days, though.” She grimaced. “Maybe we could figure out a list of things to read up on in the meantime.”

“Of course. Now you?”

“I went and had a talk with some people at City Hall.” Ruby leaned forward; a smile played around her mouth. “And I think we should probably run it by David and Emma, but what would you all think about being a kind of forest service?”

“I don't know what that is.”

“Well, it's not quite a real job here right now, but there's no reason we couldn't make it one. Sort of like gamekeepers, except for the town, not a lord. You could do what you've been doing, really – keep an eye on things and make sure people aren't poaching, or got themselves lost camping, or that kind of thing.”

“It would hardly be a change at all from what we did in the Enchanted Forest. Minus the ogres.”

“Exactly! It wouldn't pay much,” Ruby added. “The town budget isn't that great. I mean, it's kind of amazing anything works when you think the place was built by a curse.”

“We don't need much. And we could keep living as we have been, more or less, without resorting to robbery.” Mulan smiled. “I think that's a marvelous idea. We'll see what the others say.”

They stepped into the camp to find an argument in progress, Will and Little John scowling at one another with folded arms while a pan of bacon started to smoke on the fire between them.

“You're a rat,” John said. “Always have been, always will be. Even for a thief, you're a rat!”

“You've said your piece? Good. It's been a treat, but I'll be scurrying off,” Will said. “Back to me four walls and a roof, that sort of thing. Quaint ambition I have.”

Leaning against a nearby tree, Alan drawled, “Your dedication is quite the example. You've lasted nearly a week this time.”

“Look, now, I never took any more oaths.” Will's expressive brows arched. “I stuck around to help Robin out, and now he doesn't need any help from me, does he? I've got me own problems, and life in the greenwood here ain't helping me solve a bloody thing. Ta.” He started to walk off and checked at the sight of Ruby and Mulan. “Ladies. Anything to add? No? Be on me way, then.”

“Well, you might want to stick around and hear the plan before you go back to your, uh, glamorous life,” Ruby said.

“What plan is that?” Little John screwed up his broad face in suspicion. “You're the wolf girl, aren't you?”

“Woman.”

“Right. Anyway, the rat here has a point.” He glared at Will. “Without Robin, what's the use in all of this? All those years of stealing from one side or another, and we haven't much to show for it. Specially in this world.”

“That's what we've been working on,” Mulan said.

“No offense, but I'm not sure Storybrooke needs a cavalry.”

“Given recent events? Debatable, but we've come with something that won't require putting you on a horse.” She looked at Ruby, who tilted her head as if to say it was hers to explain. “I think if we're going to stay here, we need to make a place for ourselves. And we have one – right here. We just need to make it something worth doing. We can guard this forest, and the people of this town, just like we always have. But we're not going to hide ourselves away. We can learn more about this place, and grow along with it, and find new ways of life if we wish. A friend told me once that there is no worthless knowledge. I think she was right.”

They had questions. What kind of pay were they looking at? Would they have to wear uniforms? Who made the rules? Did she mean reading, _really?_ She did her best. Ruby chimed in when the questions were things like, “where do people get cars, and how do those work?” Perhaps horses would be more practical after all.

In short order they had a list of things to learn about, and a group of men who had a reason to look forward to the following day. Not all were enthusiastic – “Been there, done that, in spades” was Will's response to the idea of a library visit – but most agreed that it was worth a try.

“I've got to get back,” Ruby said eventually. “But we'll get this under way tomorrow, all right?”

“Thank you,” Mulan said. “I hope I can find some way to repay you.”

“Hey, I asked for this visit, remember?” Ruby smiled. “See you tomorrow?”

“All right.” Mulan ducked her head with a smile. “Barring no other crisis erupting.”

“That goes without saying. But I think we're way overdue for some peace and quiet in this town.” She grinned and swung away toward the trail back to town.

"I do hope you're right."


	5. Chapter 5

A week sped past – peacefully. Mulan threw herself into new work with giddy relief. She studied maps of the lands around Storybrooke and drew up patrol schedules. She talked with city officials and the manager at the town's tiny bank, and with Belle, hashing out a path toward getting the Merry Men up to speed on their new world. At last, as early evening fell over Storybrooke, a motley unshaven lot convened inside the library.

For some, this was their first visit to the town proper. None had ever seen so many books in one place before. Some wandered away to investigate; others gravitated to the coffeemaker set up on the circulation desk. Ruby followed the last straggler in and waved to Mulan with a smile.

“I didn't know you were going to be here,” Mulan said.

“I thought I'd make sure none of them got lost along the way. And I wanted to see how this thing goes. Maybe I can give Belle a hand?”

“I might need one.” Belle looked around the room. “So, who all is here?”

Mulan made introductions, finishing with, “...And this is Will Scarlet.” She gave him a perplexed look, which he ignored. He had been through the first curse; he didn't need catching up on this world.

“We've met,” Belle said without smiling.

“That we 'ave. Sorry about that. No harm done?” He grinned.

“Not very much. Shall we?” Belle waved at the rows of seats set up near the projector. “I thought we'd start with, uh, _geography_.”

“Geography? What the hell for?” Little John scowled and gave the flimsy-looking chair a poke before he sat down. “This land isn't all that large. Not like we can leave.”

“Not right now, but things in this town have a habit of changing. And you might find it helpful if the names of places in the books we're going to be reading make sense. After that, we'll do a bit of demonstration with some local things and technology you may not be familiar with.”

“Guns?”

“Ah, no. This is a radio. And Mulan's looking into getting a phone for the camp, so you can practice with this one tonight.” Two hours later, the last of the Merry Men strolled out, arguing among themselves about the uses of this new magic. Belle said, “I think that went well. We only lost two of them.” Will and Much had wandered off a half hour into the session, but the rest had stuck it out.

“I agree,” Mulan said. “Thank you for organizing all of this. We'll take care of cleaning up,” she added as Belle smothered a yawn. “You've already put in a long day.”

“Well....” After another yawn, she surrendered. “I do have an early start tomorrow. That darned hat to figure out, all the poor fairies. Lock up when you're finished?”

“Will do,” Ruby said.

Belle collected her things and headed for the front door with a wave.

Mulan looked at the stack of books Belle had left out for the group to browse through. “This will keep us all busy for months.”

“D'you suppose they'll stick with it?”

“I think most of them will, if only to show one another up. They're not bad fellows at heart.” She got up and began tidying up the remnants of their takeout dinner. “This will help them.” She glanced up to find Ruby watching her with a smile. “What?”

“They're lucky to have you around.”

Mulan shrugged. “I think I'm lucky. I needed... this.” She busied her hands with their task until Ruby leaned over and touched her arm.

“Hey. I know it isn't easy.”

“Everything could be worse.” Mulan smiled, her melancholy mood fleeting.

“Just ask my grandmother, she'll be happy to tell you.” Ruby helped her finish cleaning up. “Are you in a hurry to get back to camp?”

“No! Ah.” She cleared her throat. “No? Why?”

“I found something I thought you might like. I know Belle's all about making this a _reading_ group, but part of the culture here is movies. And think it might help you guys with references and things. I've got one picked out for the guys to introduce them – it's about Snow White – but while I was looking for it, I ran across this.” A TV stood on a wheeled stand nearby. Ruby fussed with the machine for a few minutes, turned down the overhead lights, then settled back in her chair.

Puzzled, Mulan followed her example and waited. A row of trumpeters appeared on the screen to blow a fanfare. _The Adventures of Robin Hood_ , the title card said in elaborate scrolled text.

“Truly?” Mulan glanced at Ruby, who couldn't keep her grin under control any longer.

“It's a good story. I don't think you're gonna recognize anybody in it, though.”

Ruby was right, but that didn't stop Mulan from being drawn into the action. The swordfights were better than the ones she had seen on the stage in the Enchanted Forest.

“What did you think?” Ruby asked as the screen went dark again.

“Not enough women. But you're right, it's a good story.” She smiled. “I'm not sure how Robin would feel about it, though—if he was ever a knight, he certainly didn't mention it! I don't suppose he's likely to run into this Flynn?”

Ruby laughed. “No, although I wouldn't mind seeing that.”

“Neal said there was one about me, in this world. Is it like this one?”

“There is, and uh... not really. D'you want to see it? I'll make popcorn next time.”

“Not yet, I think. But I liked this.” She considered the blank face of the television, the shelves marching off into the darkness, then back at Ruby. “I... thank you.” Mulan looked down at her hands, which seemed to have lost any sense of what they ought to do. “I suppose I ought to be heading out.”

“Would you... like some company? I could stand to stretch my legs a little.”

“Yes, of course.” The library seemed to have gotten very warm, and the cold night air felt good. “It seems strange that the stars and everything else are the same here. Shouldn't the moon be green, or something? Extra planets?”

“That would be something. You know, they have all kinds of stories here—not like the ones from home. About traveling to other worlds. Even to the moon.”

“I don't think any of us are going to be bored for quite a while.”

“Well, if you do get tired of reading and looking at trees, you know where to find me.”

Mulan shot her a startled look. “I'll do that.”

Ruby smiled; her earrings winked in the streetlights. “Learning things is more fun with other people, I think.”

“Definitely.” She hesitated. “The patrol roster is all set up. I could come in tomorrow. Early? And... help?”

Her smile turned into a grin. “We'll have tea ready.”

* * *   
  


The sound of clashing swords drifted from the park as Mulan approached. She glanced up and down the otherwise deserted street and lengthened her stride. The groomed landscape offered nothing she could readily improvise into a weapon; she pried a stone from the path and continued on, keeping to the bushes.

“That's it, Swan. Watch your left side.”

“This is—not actually my first time.” Clang. “And whatever you're thinking about saying right now—”

“Wouldn't dream of it.” Clang. “Tsk. Slow.”

No longer concerned, Mulan still took a moment to assess the scene before she broke cover. If she had needed any proof of how much could change in a year, this would have been enough. She was not surprised to see Captain Hook and the Savior of Storybrooke facing one another again. She _was_ surprised by how strongly the sight took her back – not to the side of that once-dry lake, but to home. To the sense-memory of the sword's unfamiliar weight in that first week, of cooking fires and wet wool, of weariness. Emma might be in good condition, but Mulan knew exactly how much her shoulders were going to hurt tomorrow. Only the sharp smell of oncoming snow remained the same in this world.

More recent memories caused her to frown, but intervention did not appear warranted. Mulan put down her rock, attracting their notice; she noted with approval that Emma didn't drop her guard.

“No need to be shy, Your Ladyship. Unless you have critical comments, of course.”

“I've only been watching for a few minutes.”

“Care for a bout?”

“I don't have a sword.” She gestured to her clothing. “It seems that it didn't come with me to this world.”

“Try Mr Gold's shop. All manner of object seems to turn up there.”

“I will do that.” She wondered if she was being rendered an apology, or the prospect of one, gave a cautious wave of parting and continued on her way. She found Ruby setting out the diner's morning equipment, phone held awkwardly with her shoulder.

“Yes. Yes, of c—oh. Here she is.” Ruby set down her tray and waved the phone at Mulan. “It's Belle.”

Mulan accepted it cautiously. “Hello?”

“Hi. I'm sorry to bother you, it's just, uh, well... I think something's gone missing from the shop.”

“I'm sorry to hear that?”

“One of our better-known local thieves knew that I wasn't here last night, and, ah, he didn't stay long at the library....? And I thought that well, since you know him...? I'd rather not have him arrested again if this can be solved in some other way.”

“Oh.” Mulan winced. “I'll have a word with him. Do you know what's missing?”

“Well, that's the odd thing. I've been doing an inventory since... last week. The files are in _terrible_ condition. This was just a rock, as far as I know, but it was in a tin box painted with ivy leaves. It wasn't labeled. I don't know what it does. It might not do anything at all.”

“I'll find out. Thank you for letting me know.” She handed the phone back to Ruby.

“Trouble?”

“Probably.” Mulan sighed. “Will again. Want to come along while I deal with this? He may run for it.”

Ruby raised an eyebrow. “I'd like to see him try.”


	6. Chapter 6

“I didn't do it,” Will said when he opened the door – in his underclothes – several long minutes after Mulan knocked. His hair stuck up, and he ran a knuckle over eyes uninterested in close encounters with the morning light.

“Didn't do what?” Mulan asked.

“Whatever it is somebody done. Wasn't me. You've got that look about you.”

“How can you tell.” Ruby's lip curled as she took in the sight of him. “Seems you had quite a night after you left.”

“You're not sheriffs too, now are you?”

“No,” Mulan said.

“Then sod off, 'm sleeping.”

“Belle says something went missing from the shop last night.” She crossed her arms and frowned at him.

Will blinked and scrubbed a hand over his hair. “Who says what now?”

“Belle. Says something. Is missing. From the shop. After you left last night, where did you go?”

“Rabbit Hole with Much. He had a few and left, I was there 'til... sod if I know. What would I be breaking into that shop for?”

“Why would you break into the library? Can we come in?” she added.

“All right. Only because I need to stop moving if we're talking.” He threw the door fully open and stepped back.

Mulan followed, careful not to step on any of the clutter that filled the spaces where furniture might have been. The place smelled musty; she wanted to open a window. True to his word, Will lowered himself to the elderly couch and waved a hand at their surroundings.

“Look about if you want to, I've got nothing to hide.”

“Okay.” Mulan hesitated and glanced at Ruby, who shrugged and moved down the hall. “I'm inclined to believe you.”

“Awfully big of you.”

“Mostly because you would have come up with a better cover story.”

“That's more like it.” Will tipped his head back against the cushions. “You do know I'm not the only thief working in this town, right?”

“I know where most of them were last night.” Mulan poked around the kitchen half-heartedly until Ruby returned.

“It's not here,” she said. “Things that have been in that shop have a smell to them you don't soon forget.”

“I can believe that. So what now?” Mulan looked around the dismal room. “Other than we apologize for waking you up.”

“Well done,” Will said, still unmoving. “You've eliminated one of a few thousand suspects.”

“Not many people would dare to steal something from Gold's shop.”

Ruby nodded. “And it must be something magical – if it wasn't dangerous and just had sentimental value, Belle would probably give it to them.”

“I suppose we have to go talk to her, then.” They set off. Mulan said, “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

Mulan was still thinking about Will's house when she asked, “What was it like, under the first curse?”

Ruby didn't answer right away. “Empty,” she said eventually. “Like... there was always something missing, you could never figure out quite what it was, but you knew that you would never, _ever_ find it. You were trapped and there _was_ a way out, but you couldn't see it and never would. And then one day you did. The key was in your hand. Not that everything was all sunshine and roses,” she added. “God, things were awful for a while. Worse than awful. But there was a chance to make them better.”

“That can make all the difference.” They reached the shop at the end of the street. Mulan pushed open the door. “Hello?”

“One moment.” Belle emerged from the back, a smudge of dust on her chin. “How, uh, did things go?”

“We haven't found it. You're sure it went missing last night?”

“Yes.” Belle gave a rueful shrug. “Spend enough time in here, you get a sense for when things are out of place. But if Will doesn't have it...?”

“Was anything else missing?”

“No. But I did find the record for it. I think.” She waved an index card. “If this is the right one, of course, that box holds 'dust of diminution.' Shrinking powder,” she added when they looked puzzled.

“What would anyone want that for?” Mulan asked.

Ruby said, “I guess we see if anyone turns up missing, or very small. Can I see where you kept it? Maybe I can pick up a trail.”

“I suppose it can't hurt.” Belle showed her to the back room.

Mulan closed her eyes and breathed in, trying to identify the scent Ruby had mentioned: dust, floor polish, and a bookish mustiness, but nothing struck her as unique. She took the opportunity to look around the main shop. Many of the contents had clearly come from her homeland, though by what route she could not imagine. She found a half dozen swords, none of them her own, but one made a good enough substitute.

“I think I've got something,” Ruby called.

Mulan picked up the sword and made her way to the back room. “Enough to follow them?”

“I think so.” Ruby leaned over the worktable, a frown on her elegant features. “It's not anyone I recognize. Someone who's been out in the woods lately, though, there's—oh, pine, and dirt, and rabbit. Lots of rabbit.”

Belle pursed her lips and said, “Don't you think at this point we ought to call the sheriff...s?”

Mulan shrugged. “If it's out in the woods, it's our responsibility now, isn't it? Especially if they're poaching.”

“I suppose so.”

“Can't hurt for us to have a look. May I borrow this?” Mulan raised the sword she had found.

“Yes, of course. Just bring it back when you're done.”

“I will.”

They left the shop. Now mid-morning, the day was bright but cold. Mulan kept quiet as they walked, allowing Ruby to concentrate on following the scent. She lost the trail once, picked it up a block farther on. Once out of sight of any buildings, Ruby paused with a frown.

“What's wrong?” Mulan scanned the landscape.

“The trail is still here, but it's headed straight into the woods. Very low to the ground.”

“Maybe they used some of the dust. Can we follow?”

“I can. You might not have much fun.”

“I'll manage. Lead on?”

Ruby changed form and trotted away from the road. Mulan followed her across a narrow field and into the undergrowth. Their thief had left no visible tracks to follow, perhaps because of their size. Why would anyone be so interested in shrinking? Mulan moved more slowly than she might have wished, picking her way through fallen branches and around outcrops of rock. After a couple of miles, mostly uphill, the trail they were following intersected a deer path. Ruby stopped and changed back.

“I'm picking up more scents here. People have come this way recently.”

“When? There's nothing out here that I know of.” She hadn't brought a map for her excursion into town this morning, but they were far from the bridge or any of the roads. She heard the trickle of a waterfall.

“Me, either. Hard to tell how old it is. Last night, day before maybe.”

“Strange. Let's go see what they find so interesting, then.”

Ruby grinned. Mulan felt a little flutter in her stomach at the sight. Ruby's expression changed a little, still smiling but softer.

Something chattered in a tree overhead—not a squirrel, but a good imitation of one. Mulan looked up and blinked as dust drifted into her eyes. The trees around her lurched upwards; she looked at the suddenly enormous trunks in confusion. She was shrinking.

Her sword was drawn before the net fell, but the tough, weighted cords baffled her swing, and then someone landed on top of her, mostly on her head. She got little chance to see their captors, only noted that they all appeared as diminutive as herself, and that each of them wore a bright red cap, at odds with their Storybrooke manner of dress. Rough hands relieved Mulan of her sword and knife, and then the two women – net and all – were carried some distance into darkness and dropped. The landing was softer than Mulan expected, even with Ruby mostly on top of her.

“Are you all right?” Mulan asked once her breath returned.

“Fine. You?”

Scraped and bruised, but unbroken, she said, “Nothing to speak of.” She tested the net and found herself well tangled. Without light, she couldn't imagine where to begin freeing them.

Ruby sneezed. “Ugh, all I can smell is rabbit. This must have been a warren before they moved in. Hey, don't move for a minute? I'm going to get us out of this thing.”

“How—oh.” Her cautious hand encountered fur instead of cloth. She held still while Ruby's jaws went to work on the net, loosening the strands until they could free themselves from its remains.

“I would have done that sooner, but I didn't want to bite you by accident,” Ruby said after she changed back. “Dammit, they took my phone. So much for that.”

“We'll figure something out. Thank you.” Mulan found her footing and got up. The irregular floor of their prison was knee-deep with leaves, sticks, and bits of fur that had drifted down into what must be a crevice in the rocks—knee-deep at her current size, anyway. “I'm sorry.”

“What for? I should have heard them coming.”

“I should have thought to look upward.” She couldn't see anything at all; she could hear Ruby breathing not far away. “I was. Um.”

“Yeah?”

“Distracted?”

“Yeah. Me, too.”

A warm hand found Mulan's. She tightened her fingers carefully, barely breathing herself any longer.

“I don't hear anyone right now,” Ruby said.

“Good.” Mulan leaned in. Ruby leaned harder and tugged on Mulan's hand a little. Ruby kissed like she had been thinking about nothing else for weeks. Her hair smelled like wildflowers.

At last Ruby broke off to murmur, “See? Now we won't be distracted next time.”

“Good thinking.” Lightheaded though she was, their circumstances returned to Mulan's awareness. She didn't move away yet, though. “On all fronts. Perhaps later?”

“Definitely, later.”

“Good.” Mulan managed a proper inhalation and ordered herself to focus on the problem before them. “I certainly didn't expect to run into whatever these are right outside Storybrooke.”

“Redcaps. They're... not fairies, but distant relatives? At least they are in the Enchanted Forest. They have a little bit of magic, the same way you could say that I do.”

“Recognize any of them?”

“No. The town is bigger than it looks. They may have had reasons for keeping to themselves until now.”

“Appears so. Do you suppose they know who we are?”

“I don't know. Does it matter?”

“It might affect what they plan to do with us.” Mulan grinned regardless. “Let's escape before we can find out the hard way what that is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may be the only person in the fandom who remembers the evil gnome that Regina turned into a garden ornament back in S1, but I couldn't resist this idea once I had it.


	7. Chapter 7

Escape was easier said than done, of course. They explored the walls of their prison with cautious hands, stumbling in the dark as stones and litter shifted under their feet.

“It's an oubliette,” Ruby said with a sigh. “Maybe they don't intend to do anything at all with us. I can't jump that high without a running start, and there's no room.”

“There has to be a way.” Mulan found her hand and squeezed. “We'll find it.”

Ruby squeezed back. “Right.”

“We do have this net.”

“So if any of them come down here, we can grab them with it?”

“Or something.” She wrapped two lines around her hand and yanked. “This material is tough.”

“Nylon, I think. They use it for fishing.”

“Think you could chew through it?”

“Sure. And then do what with it?”

“See what we catch, and maybe climb out.” Mulan found a stick and tossed it upwards, listening for its clatter against the to get some idea of how deep the crevice was. “Can you hear anyone?”

“Not close by. Voices, music. Maybe outside. I'm sure they've got someone on watch, though.”

“No doubt. We should get to work.”

Ruby changed form again. Working by feel, they broke up and reknotted the net to make a sort of rope. Hearing nothing more than the continued music from above, Mulan gave the rope a careful toss. It landed with a faint thump and hissed back down into her hand. No alarm sounded.

Working blind, she started at one end of the crevice and inched along it. Every step, she tossed up the rope up over the edge and dragged it back. They had only fallen about six feet, but at their current size, it made a challenging distance.

Ruby changed back and said, “Someone's coming.”

“How many?”

“Two.”

One of the redcaps bore a flickering torch. Mulan took the opportunity to scan the rocky walls and found nothing that her net might catch hold of.

“Who are you people, and what do you want with us?” she asked.

The redcap laughed. “This is our forest now. Trespassers will be... persecuted.”

“Transformed,” added the second. “Expanded, perhaps, in surprising fashion. Possibly made into windchimes to warn the unwary, most fetching. We have a long list.”

“How'd they get out of the net, d'you think?” The first speaker waved the torch down at the crevice.

The second shrugged. “Slippery wenches, it seems. Won't help when they're naught but shadows and cobweb hair.” The light receded as the two walked away, leaving the women in their dark prison.

“That wasn't much help.” Ruby sighed.

“It told us not to waste time with this.” Mulan coiled their makeshift rope. “And it seems they're not going to kill us right away.” The long-term prospects did not look good, however.

“Helpful. People will come looking for us eventually.” Ruby scuffed a foot through the clutter on the ground. “Maybe we can pile this stuff up? Climb out that way?”

“Worth a try.” They shoveled debris into a mound with their hands. Packed tight enough to hold weight, there wasn't much of it. Seeking on hands and knees through the far reaches of their prison for stones to give it structure, a rock shifted under Mulan. Her arm went down, and she clipped her chin hard on the ground with a grunt of pain.

“You okay?”

“Mm. Just a bruise. One moment.” She probed at the space she had discovered. “There's an opening here. Small. These rocks are packed in pretty tight, but,” she pulled hard, “I think some of them could move. Can you smell anything down there?”

Ruby made her way over to Mulan. “Water.” She blew out sharply, then inhaled. “Not much air movement anywhere in here. But what's the worst that could happen?”

“Being buried alive or drowned?”

“Better than being turned into wall decor.”

“True. Here.” She found Ruby's hand and guided her to the seam in the rock. “Let's see if we can clear this away.”

They pried at the rock with their hands and the sturdiest bits of wood they could find, trying to be quick yet quiet.

“They're coming back,” Ruby whispered.

“Pull.” On the second try, the rock shifted. Stones clattered and splashed into the unseen space below. A final heave and the stone came up, leaving an opening large enough for one of them to squeeze through. “Hold this.” Mulan pressed one end of their makeshift rope into Ruby's hands and tied the other around her waist. “Ready?”

“Hurry.” Ruby braced herself as Mulan scrambled down into the hole they had made.

Mulan found darkness in the chamber below, and felt no walls nearby. She climbed down farther, and her foot touched water. Muffled sounds of alarm above and a faint torchlight glow encouraged her to recklessness. She dropped. The water turned out to be ankle-deep, cold but not freezing. Mulan was about to yell up for Ruby when she heard a snarl and a yell above.

She jumped to the side and slipped, landed on her knees as two figures fell through the opening, one still holding a torch. The torch sizzled out. Mulan scrambled up and threw herself onto the struggling pair. She found the redcap's arm and enough leverage to pull him off of Ruby as the wolf got to her feet.

Mulan felt the whiff of a near-miss pass her midsection, stepped into the opening he must have left, and hooked her foot behind his leg. She pulled; he threw another punch that grazed her; he went down into the water with a yell of surprise. Mulan landed on him, and after a brief struggle got her knee into his stomach. She used the moment that bought to punch where she hoped his face was. He dropped and stayed there, groaning.

“Ow.” Mulan flexed her stinging hand.

“You all right?”

“I'm okay. You?”

“He had a knife. I'm fine.”

“Good.” Mulan searched the unconscious redcap with fingers numb from the cold. “Must have dropped it.” She found string and a few oddments in his pockets, and the torch not far away, which might make a decent club. A furred shape bumped against her leg. She put a hand on Ruby's shoulder and said, “Let's go.” The water moved, so they went with its flow – there must be a way out downstream. She held the spent torch out before her to ward off any collisions with the walls, trusted Ruby to guide them both with her superior senses, and concentrated on keeping her footing.

Shouts echoed behind them as their pursuers found the shaft, and then heavy footfalls. Torchlight bounced off the water and showed ripples in its surface before the light dimmed again as the redcaps cast around. The current quickened against Mulan's legs as the slope of the ground changed.

Ruby stopped, then took hold of Mulan's hand with gentle teeth and tugged it upward. Mulan felt out ahead of her and touched rock. Reaching higher, she found an opening. Ruby backed away and jumped. Mulan heard her claws scrabble on the stone. She put the torch in her teeth, took hold of the rock edge with both hands and heaved herself upward.

The crevice proved high enough to crawl in for a few yards before it narrowed, offering room to hide. As the torchlight and voices came nearer, Mulan wedged herself back against the cold rock. Ruby pressed up against her other side. Grateful for the warmth, Mulan clenched her teeth against chattering and listened. Three voices came clear over the steady splashing.

“—Where—”

“Can't get far—“

“Got the woods trapped to a fare-thee-well for a half mile around already. By nightfall it'll be a mile.”

“Too right.” The speaker laughed.

“They must have gone this way. They'll come out down the hill, then. Go back and get the others,” one directed. “We'll catch them in between—”

“And have a fine supper yet!”

Mulan heard laughter and running feet as the redcap went about his errand. The torchlight dimmed and then disappeared as the other two continued to follow the water's path toward whatever exit it led to. When silence had fallen, Ruby changed back so they could talk.

“Good thinking,” Mulan told her. “But which way now?”

“Sneak out behind them while they're all out looking for us.”

“We could do that.”

“You have another idea?”

“The start of one. Need to think.” She hugged Ruby for a moment. “Let's go back in the way we got out. There's something I want to see.”

They retraced their path and found the rope their pursuers had let down in order to follow them. They climbed up into and then out of their former prison, and made sure to bring the rope along.

Hearing no nearby movement, then, they crept through the tunnels that had been turned into home for their captors. There were no rooms, only wide spots and alcoves. Fires burned low and flickered in the drafts, providing light at last. They found stores piled about with little system. The redcaps' efforts at thievery had been prodigious if not systematic. Mulan was interested in exactly one thing, and that was getting her hands on a weapon.

Ruby signaled someone coming and raised a questioning eyebrow. Mulan touched her ear; could it be quiet? Ruby nodded. Mulan stepped back. The redcap managed one startled squeak, no more. Mulan took away his knife, tied him and gagged him, and they continued their search. They found some tools in one alcove, and Mulan picked up a shovel in case of further encounters.

They ran into a pair of guards near the entrance, and soon had them trussed with the other. Ruby's nose led them to their own possessions, piled near the cave entrance.

“Much better,” Ruby said with a shake of her head. “Although we do still have the problem that we're two feet tall.”

“True, but so are they.”

“You look like you're thinking. What is it?”

“There are about a dozen of them. They know this area well, and they're between us and where we want to be. That may not actually be a problem. A shame there isn't more snow,” Mulan said, surveying the landscape. “But we can work with this.”

“How?”

“What do you see out there?”

“Trees, rocks.”

“And in the trees and rocks, there are traps.” Mulan smiled. It wouldn't take long for the redcaps to get bored with looking for them out in the woods – but what she had in mind wouldn't take long. “I've been one of the Merry Men for a while now. I know a few things about traps. Give me a boost up here and keep a lookout?”

She busied herself with the knife and the ropes in the trees until Ruby warned her that the first of the redcaps were returning. She signaled three groups of them, then crouched behind a pile of boulders to change. Mulan got ready.

The first group walked neatly into a net trap that had been moved from where they thought it was. The second, running to their aid, found heavy stones raining down on them and scattered. A few darts whistled past Mulan as someone spotted her in her perch. She jumped down from the tree and kicked away the peg holding the last of the traps she had repositioned. Heavy logs rattled down a rockface, pinning several more of the redcaps. The three who remained untangled and unwounded after that gauntlet faced a very irritable werewolf, and soon thereafter Mulan's sword.

They were sensible enough to surrender.

After much baring of teeth, the redcap leader revealed that if you turned widdershins three times and then sprinkled on a bit more of the dust, the effect was reversed. A short while later, Mulan and Ruby turned their captives over to the town authorities and turned toward Belle's shop, where the adventure had begun.

“I did bring it back.” Mulan gave Belle the shrunken sword she had reclaimed from the redcaps. “Not in quite the same condition, I'm afraid.”

“Well, I'm sure I have some more mushroom juice left around here.”

“It's on the shelf in back,” Will said. “I'll get it.” He left off leaning on the counter where he had been talking to Belle, and sauntered into the back room. Mulan watched him go with raised eyebrows, then looked at Belle, who gave a little shrug.

“He wanted to make up for what happened before, he said, so he's been helping out here. And actually _being_ helpful,” she added. “I'm surprised by how much he knows about magical artifacts.”

“I see. Well... good luck.”

Belle gave a quick smile. “I think I might finally see some of that. You, too, I hope?”

Mulan smiled back. “Absolutely.”

  
  


A month later, Mulan hammered down the final tent peg and stood back, pleased with the little structure. She turned her attention from her handiwork to the view. From their spot below the hilltop, she could look east to the sea, north to the forest, or south to the lights of Storybrooke. Absorbed in the sight, she almost missed the quiet step behind her. She spun around only to be knocked half off her feet by Ruby's pounce.

“One of these days I will hear you in time,” Mulan swore, laughing as she got her balance back.

“Not for the past four times, but I bet I can get sneakier.” Ruby kissed her and looked around, her arms still around Mulan. “This spot is great. I don't think I've been up here in at least a year.”

“Glad you like it.” Mulan's stomach growled, eliciting a chuckle from Ruby.

“I brought the food.” She slung off her pack.

“Thank goodness. I remembered my book this time.”

They sat on a fallen tree that faced the distant ocean, shared hot soup from Ruby's supplies, and took turns reading out loud from Belle's latest recommendation until the sun began to set. Mulan built a fire; it snapped cheerily and added rough perfume to the cold air. Ruby had brought marshmallows, a treat Mulan had not managed to acquire a taste for so far, but she did enjoy the careful process of toasting them.

Far off, a howl went up from the forest. They sat quietly until the wolf's song had faded.

Mulan asked, “Have you ever thought about, well.... others?”

Ruby sighed. “Yeah, I have. A lot. It would be nice. At least I think it would be nice. It's just... it's such a big thing, y'know? I mean, I'm not ready to have kids or anything. This would be just as big, like—like having very, very, _dangerous_ kids. The things I did back in the Enchanted Forest, nothing can fix that or change that.”

“But you were alone.”

“Yes.” She took a breath and looked at the sky, at the half-moon hanging there without comment.

“I know how that feels.” Mulan squeezed her hand.

Ruby turned to look at her, a little wide-eyed. “Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?”

“I'm not sure.” Mulan flushed. “Maybe? Someday? I thought I'd mention it. But we can see what happens next.”

Ruby seemed to turn that over in her mind; then she smiled. “A little thinking never hurts. Ask me in a year, okay?”

“I will.”


End file.
